Universal blank for forming telescopic carton members



Sept. 30, 1969 J. R. HOWELL UNIVERSAL BLANK FOR FORMING TELESCOPIC CARTON MEMBERS Filed NOV. 1, 1967 FIG. 2

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INVENTOR. JOHN RHow ELL BY 61;. a

U.S. Cl. 22932 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOS A carton having its body and telescoping cover formed from identical corrugated paperboard blanks; the blanks being provided with offset fold lines, such that when a blank is folded in one mode a carton body will be produced Whereas when folded in an alternate mode, upon offset fold lines, a telescoping carton cover is produced.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention generally relates to boxes and cartons formed from corrugated paperboard material; more particularly, it relates to telescopic cartons in which the inner and outer members of the carton are formed from identical blanks by simply reversing the fold of one blank relative to another.

Heretofore the inner and outer members comprising a telescopic type carton have conventionally been formed from incongruent blanks. This incongruency, or inability of the inner and outer blanks to be superposable and coincident throughout, has necessitated the segregation of these blanks for exclusive use as either an inner or outer member. Thus, the required maintenance of several inventories creates the possibility, which in actual practice is quite frequently encountered, that errors or imbalance in the quantity of available inner or outer blanks will result, hence causing a termination of the packaging operation until the supply of the deficient blanks can be replenished. Obviously, this temporary cessation of production is not without economic loss to the user of the telescopic carton.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION With the foregoing in mind, there is provided in accordance with this invention a corrugated paperboard blank capable of utilization as either the inner or outer member of a telescopic carton, thereby eliminating the necessity of maintaining several inventories of inner and outer blanks.

More particularly, there is provided a generally rectangular blank having transverse and longitudinal pairs of offset fold lines, the blank being formed into either a body member or cover member by opposite folding along selective fold lines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The specific nature of this invention, as well as other advantageous features thereof, will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the drawings which, by way of preferred example, illustrate one embodiment of this invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank which may be used to form either the carton body or telescopic carton cover;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a telescopic cover formed from a blank as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the carton body also formed from a blank as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an assembled telescopic carton having its complementally nested body and cover members formed from blanks of identical configuration.

ted States atent O 3,469,761 Patented Sept. 30, 1969 DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMB ODIMENT(S) As used herein, the term fold line shall be used to designate any mode of providing a line of weakness unto a sheet material whereby the sheet may be conveniently bent, or folded, along this line. Typical examples of such fold lines include scores, creases and perforations, all of which are well known in the art.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, FIG- URE 1 shows a blank 10 of foldable sheet material provided with fold lines and slotted edges in accordance with this invention. Blank 10, which may, for example, be a corrugated paperboard sheet, is generally rectangular in configuration and is provided with at least two pairs of inwardly-extending, longitudinally displaced slots, 12 and 14 respectively. The slots comprising the respective pairs are, in the preferred embodiment, oppositely aligned, that is, the outer sides 16 of slot pair 12 are in a straight line relation as well as are the outer sides 18 of slot pair 14; the inner sides 20 of pair 12 and the inner sides 22 of pair 14 being similarly related.

Additionally, the blank is provided with an array of fold lines, illustrated in FIGURE 1, whereby folding of blank 10 in one mode will produce a carton body and folding in another mode will produce a telescopic cover. Extending longitudinally of blank 10 is a set of parallel substantially displaced fold lines 24. Generally, fold lines 24 are normally related to the respective slots, 12 and 14, and are disposed outwardly of the slot inner margins 27. Thus, the slots are intersected by lines 24 and thereby define side panels 26 and corner flaps 28. On the face of blank 10 opposite to that upon which lines 24 are formed is another set of parallel, displaced fold lines 30 also extending longitudinally of blank 10, and being generally parallel to fold lines 24. These reverse fold lines are, however, inwardly offset relative to fold lines 24 and preferably located such that they partially coincide with the inner margins 27 of the respective slots. Consequently, in projection, there are defined a series of intermediate flaps 32 and intermediate side panels 34 disposed adjacent corner flaps 28 and side panels 26 respectively.

The face of blank '10 upon which the outwardly-disposed set of fold lines 24 are formed is also provided with a pair of substantially displaced, parallel transverse fold lines 36. Fold lines 36 are preferably coextensive with that portion of the blank existing intermediate the inner margins 27 of the respective slot pairs and generally merge with the corresponding outer sides, 16 and 18 respectively. Likewise, the opposite face of blank 10 is provided with a similar pair of transverse fold lines 38. The latter pair being offset inwardly relative to fold lines 36 and adapted to merge with the inner sides, 20 and 22, of the respective slot pairs 12 and 14. In projection therefore, the transverse fold lines define a central panel 40, end panels 42 and intermediate end panels 44.

The foregoing description generally relates to the pre ferred embodiment of this invention in which one face of blank 10 includes longitudinal fold lines 24 and transverse fold lines 36, while the reverse face includes offset longitudinal fold lines 30 and offset transverse fold lines 38. If desired however, this array of fold lines may be formed on the same face of blank 10. Furthermore, the slotted blank having the appropriately positioned fold lines, as hereinbefore described, may be produced by the use of conventional slotters and conventional scorin tools.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, there is exemplified a mode of folding the blank of FIGURE 1 by which a telescoping carton cover 46 is formed. Generally, this is accomplished by folding the perimeter of the sheet downwardly, into the plane of the drawing, along the longitudinal fold lines 24 and transverse fold lines 36. Thus,

by folding side panels 26 downwardly along the outer set of longitudinal fold lines 24, there is formed a cover whose crown includes central panel 40 and the contiguous intermediate side panels 34. Furthermore, in folding downwardly along outer transverse fold lines 36 the crown will also include, as its longitudinal margins, the respective contiguous intermediate end panels 44. To complete cover 46 the various corner flaps 28 are bent inwardly, along the outer margins of fold lines 24, and juxtapositioned along side panels 26. Flaps 28 may then be secured to side panels 26 by any suitable means such as, for example, by adhesively joining or stapling the two members. Thus, it can be readily seen that in this mode of folding the end walls of cover 46 will not only include end panels 42 but also the contiguous intermediate flaps 32.

In FIGURE 3 there is disclosed the alternate mode of folding blank to produce a carton body 48. Unlike the cover folding mode described above, this alternate mode effectuates a repositioning of intermediate side panels 34, intermediate end panels 44 and intermediate flaps 32, whereby the base of body 48 exclusively comprises central panel 40a. Referring now specifically to FIGURES 1 and 3, the body folding mode is accomplished by bending the perimeter of the sheet upwardly, from the plane of the drawings, along the reverse, inwardly offset fold lines 30 and 38 respectively. Hence, the sidewalls of body 48 are brought into position by unitarily folding side panels 26 and contiguous intermediate side panels 34 upwardly along the reverse longitudinal fold lines 30. Similarly, by folding upwardly along the reverse transverse fold lines 38, end panel 42 and intermediate end panel 44 unitarily define the end walls of body 48. To complete the body, flaps 28 and their respective contiguous intermediate flaps 32 are bent about the longitudinal extremities of fold lines 30 and laterally positioned along the side of body 48; they may then be secured to the body side by any conventional technique.

Accordingly it can be seen that, unlike the prior art wherein dissimilar blanks are required to produce a car ton having a body and telescoping cover, the prescribed array of fold lines and complementary slots, as herein described, allows such a carton (FIGURE 4) to be fabricated from identical blanks. That is the array of fold lines, whether formed on the same face of the blank or, if alternately formed on opposite blank faces will define in projection a series of blank sections 34, 44 and 32 disposed intermediate the central panel and side panels, the central panel and end panels and intermediate the corner flaps and end panels respectively. By selectively folding in one mode those sections contiguous with the central panel, 44 and 34 respectively, are maintained in the horizontal plane substantially defined by said panel, the crown of the resulting carton component thereby including these respective blank sections. Contrariwise, when folded in the alternate mode of this invention, these same sections instead of being maintained in the plane of the panel are positioned normal to this plane and thereby, along with the end and side panels, define the walls of the resulting carton component. Similarly, the blank sections disposed intermediate flaps 28 and end panels 42 partially define the carton end walls in the former folding and the carton sidewalls in the alternate mode.

I claim:

1. A carton having a body and telescoping cover formed from foldable blanks of identical configuration and size, each of said blanks having outer longitudinal fold lines and inwardly oifset longitudinal fold lines terminating at the longitudinal extremities of the blank, opposed transverse slots extending inwardly from the edges of said blank to said inwardly offset longitudinal fold lines, thereby defining opposed side panels and intermediate side panels contiguous with said opposed side panels, corner flaps and intermediate flaps contiguous with said corner flaps, each of said blanks further including outer transverse fold lines and inwardly offset transverse fold lines disposed intermediate said inwardly offset longitudinal fold lines, thereby defining a central panel contiguous with said intermediate side panels, opposed end panels contiguous with said intermediate flaps and in termediate end panels joining said central panel and said opposed end panels; said carton body comprising a base formed of said central panel, and upstanding walls including integral end walls formed of said end panels and said intermediate end panels and integral sidewalls formed of said side panels and said intermediate side panels, said blank corner flaps and intermediate flaps being secured to said sidewalls; said telescoping carton cover comprising a crown formed of said central panel and said intermediate side panels and intermediate end panels respectively, and depending walls including integral sidewalls formed of said side panels and integral end walls formed of said end panels and said intermediate flaps, said corner flaps being secured to said sidewalls.

2. A blank of foldable material for forming either the body member or cover member of a telescopic carton having: outer longitudinal fold lines and inwardly offset longitudinal fold lines terminating at the longitudinal extremities of said blank; opposed transverse slots extending inwardly to said inwardly offset longitudinal fold lines and interrupting the continuity of said outer longitudinal fold lines; outer transverse fold lines and inwardly olfset transverse fold lines disposed intermediate the inner margins of said opposed transverse slots, said outer longitudinal fold lines and said outer transverse fold lines being formed on one face of said blank and said inwardly offset longitudinal fold lines and said inwardly offset transverse fold lines being formed on the opposite face, whereby when folded about said outer longitudinal fold lines and said outer transverse fold lines a carton cover is formed and when folded about said inwardly offset longitudinal and said inwardly offset transverse fold lines respectively a complementary body is formed.

3. A generally rectangular corrugated paperboard blank capable of forming either a body of complementing telescoping cover for a carton, said blank having first and second longitudinally displaced pairs of opposed inwardly extending slots and including first and second parallel sets of longitudinal fold lines and first and second parallel sets of transverse fold lines, said first set of transverse fold lines merging with the respective inner sides of said respective slot pairs, said second set of longitudinal fold lines and said first set of transverse fold lines defining a mode of folding whereby a carton body is formed, and said first set of longitudinal fold lines and said second set of transverse fold lines defining an alternate mode of folding whereby a telescoping carton cover is formed.

4. The blank of claim 3, wherein said second set of transverse fold lines comprises a first fold line disposed intermediate the inner margins of said first pair of slots and a second fold line disposed intermediate the inner margins of said second pair of slots, said first and said second lines merging with the outer sides of said respective slot pairs.

5. The blank of claim 4, wherein said first set of transverse fold lines comprises a third fold line disposed intermediate the inner margins of said first pair of slots and merging with the inner sides of said first pair of slots and a fourth fold line disposed intermediate the inner margins of said second pair of slots and merging with the inner sides of said second pair of slots.

6. The blank of claim 5, wherein said second set of longitudinal fold lines comprises fifth and sixth opposed fold lines substantially coextensive with the face of said blank and normally intersecting the respective junctures of said transverse fold lines and said inner slot margins.

7. The blank of claim 6, wherein said first set of longitudinal fold lines are disposed outwardly of said fifth and sixth fold lines and thereby respectively intersect juxtaposed sides of said slots.

8. The blank of claim 7, wherein the plurality of fold lines are formed on a single face of said blank.

9. The blank of claim 7, wherein said first set of longitudinal fold lines and said second set of transverse fold lines are formed on one face, said second set of longitudinal fold lines and said first set of transverse fold lines being formed on the opposite face of said blank.

10. A unitary slotted and scored blank of foldable material having a central panel, opposed side panels, intermediate side panels joining said respective opposed side panels and said central panel, opposed end panels, intermediate end panels joining said respective end panels and said central panel, corner flaps and intermediate flaps joining said corner flaps and said end panels, whereby when said blank is folded in one mode a carton body is formed having a base comprised of said central panel and integral end and sidewalls substantially comprised of said end panels and intermediate end panels and said side panels and intermediate side panels respectively and when folded in an alternate mode a complementing telescoping cover is formed having a crown substantially comprised of said central panel and said intermediate side and end panels respectively and including integral end and sidewalls substantially defined by said end panels and inter- UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1952 Caskey 229-32 12/1964 Miller 229 32 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 229-31 

